Molina’s Misstep

L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s temper flare-ups, unfortunately all too frequent, are not fair to her colleagues and do not serve her constituents well. But in accusing her colleagues on the board of racism Tuesday during a discussion of County-USC Medical Center, Molina did more damage than usual.

In her district, Molina is a popular, community-oriented politician who banks on her integrity. Her image includes that of a crusader for openness in public office. But she’s also a controversial figure, full of contradictions. As a long-time local politician, she has good contacts in Sacramento and Washington, but her potential power is reduced because her angst and anger sometimes isolate her, making her less effective than she could be.

On the issue of replacing the quake-damaged County-USC hospital, Molina strongly favored a 750-bed facility but the board voted last year for 500 beds and she is still smarting. She proposed reopening negotiations on the issue Tuesday and was voted down. Molina called the decision “a slap in the face” to Latinos and added, “this community, when it had white representation--and I’m making a racial remark here--people met these needs.” She later apologized but had already undercut herself.

As Latino electoral power in Los Angeles steadily grows, powerful politicians like Molina should know that making racial claims is no substitute for the hard work of lining up the votes she needs from fellow supervisors so that she can deliver on her promises to her constituents. Suggesting that she can’t be effective because somehow the whole county structure is anti-Latino won’t play, even among her supporters.